16:17 - FLOWWW: Ready

16:17 - FLOWWW: *puts on j cole*

16:24 - JENDELLA.: So, who are you?

16:26 - FLOWWW: FLORENCE ADEPOJU. Founder of MDMflow, someone

who is passionately curious

16:27 - JENDELLA.: Lol, your name is full caps yeah? #BAWSE

16:28 - FLOWWW: Yes babe! More than anything I'm myself sha, defining

yourself by what you do is so 2013

16:30 - JENDELLA.: So, what's MDMflow?

16:37 - FLOWWW: MDMflow is my baby! I tell ppl it's a hip hop inspired

lipstick line blah blah because it's easier to understand. But really in its

entirety MDMflow is a younger version of me, in a product. hip hop rocks

my world so it's mostly hip hop but I also think MDMflow is an attitude.

The MDMflow girl does what she wants

16:39 - JENDELLA.: How did MDMflow start?

16:45 - FLOWWW: I studied cosmetic science at the London College of

Fashion and for my dissertation I decided to make lipsticks (because I

wanted to move to France for the year but that's another story) As soon as I started making my lipsticks people were asking for them/ stealing them! So I turned it into a business. Though before

MDMflow I always knew I'd go down the entrepreneurial route. I always

knew I wanted a business model that was personal.

16:46 - FLOWWW: I've been reading all these business books so I feel like

my response should be more detailed and elaborate lol

16:48 - JENDELLA.: Lol that's kool. Inspiration for the kids-dem. Its good to

get an in depth look at it all because that's the juice that we wanna hear,

not surface stuff.

16:51 - FLOWWW: Certain things I'll keep for my book. Like the time we

spent a whole evening in Starbucks looking at lipstick packaging. That day

is so special to me, the moment when it all became real. Starbucks Oxford

street is basically where MDMflow was conceived #craaaaaaaay

16:59 - JENDELLA.: What's the reaction to MDMflow been like?

17:03 - FLOWWW:

17:04 - FLOWWW: Have I shown you this message? It's so cray when someone reacts to a product you made this way and you're not Justin Biebers mum17:05 - FLOWWW: That's what I get all day everyday love love love. From

people who have tried it to those who have just seen a picture of them on

Instagram

17:07 - FLOWWW: I get emails from girls telling me I inspire them. It's soo

crazy that something I created can instigate positive change in someone

else's life

17:08 - JENDELLA.: Why do you think people react this way?

17:09 - FLOWWW: I really don't know lol I don't think this kinda thing is

really done in the beauty industry. The industry exists to tell women how

to be whilst MDMflow allows you to be yourself

17:11 - FLOWWW: Girls who really want blue lipstick can get it here and

find other girls who rock blue lipstick too

17:11 - FLOWWW: I'm also very honest and open about my behind the

scenes and people like that about MDMflow

Words by Isis Nicole

Like a number of the generation-wifi population, I happen to heart any 1990s street fashion throwback Tumblr can dig up. From the gaudy bikinis and fur on Lil Kim to the finger waves and baggy threads on Missy Elliott, all of it brings me back to a time I so wished to be an adult in – but I was just a youngin’.

The cool thing about growing up is that you can put on whatever the heck you want. As a fan of Wil Fry’s take on luxury bootlegs, if I had the funds, I’d probably wear that. Fry’s aesthetic based on logo culture sparks one of my most institutionalized child-HOOD memories. Tommy Hilfiger, Chanel, DKNY, and Coogi knock-offs. Remember?

I’m also into the street style of self-proclaimed ‘baddest female’ CL [star of K-Pop girlband 2NE1] dripped in gold grillz and HBA. I will never get over the fact that I got to witness a very familiar corner store beauty item become embraced by a K-Pop princess. Maybe she and I can shop till we drop in say, Justice’s [from Poetic Justice] and Sissy’s [from CB4] closet circa ‘93 seeing as street style has been in the eye of the beholder since yesterday.

I know it sounds sort of ridiculous, but it’s true and sort of expected considering that the post 90s babies are finally all grown up. Just take a look at the street influence in Gerlan Jeans forthcoming dangerously-cheesy-airbrushed-urban-twist lookbook, or even Nasir Mazhar’s SS14 collection swooped, swerved, and served in what a number of fashion blogs have referred to as “ghetto styling.”

Now, as a lil ol’ brown girl from the States, when it comes to black culture, I can be sensitive about my ish. I mean, define

Street Wave

“ghetto styling”. I suppose it’s a debatable subject, but seriously! What the hell does it mean? Is it bad? Is it good? Is it irony?

As the world turns, fashion evolves and recycles and the streets continue to come along with it, and to be honest, I’m not exactly sure when the defining moment was. High-art, more often than not, tends to channel from low-art. The efforts of what may seem to be a thoughtless combination of urban apparel is constantly re-stitched together for fashion to flaunt for fun. But this won’t last forever. Do you recall when fashion went through a romanticized gold name plate and Kangol phase after the coolness of Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City? Maybe not, considering that nail art is the new gold name plate.

Understand that I don’t see nothing wrong with bandeaus, jersey boxers, nail art, hooded maxi-sweats, and quilted skirts making the mainstream cut, but I am let down when I start to take note that fashion will only think it’s worth popularizing on street style when it’s convenient. Aww man, this is turning into the diary of a torn black woman. No, no, no! I don’t want that. All that I’m saying is that the award for best cultural crossover goes to Hip-Hop.

Isis Nicole is a 24-year-old American writer, magazine editor of The Isis Nicole Magazine, and producer by way of the Midwest. She interviews cool people and obsesses over nails. www.theisisnicolemagazine.com

all images from tumblr.com – obvz!

17:12 - JENDELLA.: So when you're making your lipsticks where do you find

inspiration for new colours?

17:17 - FLOWWW: I think I have synthesia, when I'm listening to music

I literally see colours. With my lipsticks Milkshake and sweet escape I

distinctively saw those colours listening to those tracks. Sometimes I see

a flower or piece of fabric and try to recreate the colour. Or I just sit in the

lab and blue sky (a chemist term for just making it up as you go along)

17:18 - FLOWWW: Though I made Di la la coz you needed a good black

17:19 - FLOWWW: I read alot of magazines I think they inspire me too but

maybe more my attitude

17:21 - FLOWWW: J cole inspires me

17:39 - JENDELLA.: You love your magazines boy. (We obviously weren't

gonna get through this without mentioning lover boy ... ) Do you have a

soundtrack while you're making lipsticks?

17:46 - FLOWWW: Not a specific one but I'm always listening to hiphop.

mostly nicki minaj, biggie & j cole

17:50 - FLOWWW: And not only the music I love listening to interviews

17:51 - JENDELLA.: Oh for real, with who?

17:56 - FLOWWW: Not even being obsessive but Lee Hawkins interview

with j cole is my fave

17:56 - FLOWWW: Closely followed by Jay Z and Zane Lowe

17:58 - JENDELLA.: "Not even being obsessive..."

17:59 - JENDELLA.: Do you listen to the same interviews over and over

then?

18:07 - FLOWWW: lol I'm totes obsessed init. I check out new interviews

every now and then. But I always revert back to my faves espesh on days

when I don't feel so inspired.

18:13 - JENDELLA.: What's the MDMflow ANTHEM(Z)?

18:14 - FLOWWW: notorious BIG - warning, Nicki minaj - itty bitty piggy, J

Cole - cole world

18:15 - FLOWWW: Judge me I don't care

18:16 - FLOWWW: Big Sean - 10 2 10

18:17 - FLOWWW: I love uk rap too

18:18 - FLOWWW: Krept and Konan - too young is my current anthem and

Stormzy - 0-100 cover is

18:20 - JENDELLA.: (Lemme know when you're done cos I know this could

take awhile....)

18:24 - FLOWWW: Lolz one more, meridian dan - I'm from a place. that

tune is my literal childhood

18:26 - JENDELLA.: Alrite alrite alrite. I think we get the picture now. You

like East Coast and UK hip hop. No love for the WestSide nah? *cripwalks*

18:26 - FLOWWW: I party to WestCoast but I love the grittiness of east side rap and the relatability of London. London rappers are the realest18:29 - JENDELLA.: I wanna be devil's advocate but I can't disagree with

that. Maybe we spend too much time together. I feel like our personalities

are merging together...

18:30 - FLOWWW: Lolz, but if you think about it we are so different in the

way we do things we just like the same things

18:31 - JENDELLA.: That's true also. Damn. Agreeing again.

18:31 - FLOWWW: Plus you're the only person that can check me, besides

mum

18:32 - JENDELLA.: A privilege I take seriously

18:32 - FLOWWW:

18:34 - JENDELLA.: Speaking of partying and West Coast music, I will never

forget that club we were at in Antwerp and it was like 3 in the morning and

the DJ played 2Pac 'Hit Em Up' and everyone went wild. That night was so

dope. Dancing to diss tracks in the club with a bunch of European kids.

One of the dopest nights of my life.

18:36 - FLOWWW: Antwerp is the MOST

Hawaii

belgium

london

bermuda

18:37 - JENDELLA.: Anyways. Back on track. What's next in the plan for

MDMflow world domination??

18:40 - FLOWWW: More MDMflow girls, they already exist but they

need to find us and we need to find them, but it's happening already in

an organic way. We're building MDMflow slowly, more colours, more

products, more retailers. All that good stuff, no pressure

18:43 - JENDELLA.: Explain a bit more about this MDMflow girl in case

there's gyaldem out there wondering if they make the cut, give us a

summary!

18:51 - FLOWWW: The MDMflow girl is quietly confident she knows what

she wants and she's working her butt off to get it! She can be loud too

though, because if she has something to say she says it, she doesn't need

to be the elusive hero. She's urban, she's down town she's street whether

she's rocking air max 90's or Vivienne Westwood platforms. Her make up

and grooming is not dictated by trends, it's a representation of how she

feels. She's authentic, trill, hardworking! She sounds like a super hero

ennit

18:53 - FLOWWW: She’s also sensitive, we all are, but she deals with it.

I think the world we live in encourages us to mask our lives and paint everything as a perfect picture. Being an MDMflow girl is owning it looking after yourself physically and emotionally, understanding that you are important. See I made

her human again

19:14 - JENDELLA.: OK so, Top Five Craziest Moments In The MDMflow Journey So Far?19:26 - FLOWWW: 1. Launching in Antwerp with 5 lipsticks19:26 - FLOWWW: 2. Reaching my indiegogo target the next day19:28 - FLOWWW: 3. the famous/industry ppl that have bought lipsticks from my site19:29 - FLOWWW: 4. My interview with Vogue Italia19:30 - FLOWWW: 5. Having one week to prepare for our pop up at shoreditch boxpark19:31 - FLOWWW: lol I can't believe this is my actual life!

19:46 - JENDELLA.: Better believe it love!! "Thought I told you that we won't

stop, thought I told you that we won't stop!!" *Harlem shakes*

20:15 - FLOWWW: *diddy jet dance*

20:16 - JENDELLA.: I just saw the video of us dancing to Beyonce in the pop

up shop with Tols. Endless lolz.

20:20 - Florence Adepoju: Nooooooo

20:20 - JENDELLA.: So imagine someone's broken up with bae and they're

really upset but then get their Destiny's Child on and decide to go out and

kick ass, what MDMflow colours would you suggest?

20:22 - FLOWWW: Milkshake brings all the boys to the yard or Bossy coz

not always boys boys ennit

20:25 - JENDELLA.:

20:26 - JENDELLA.: What MDMflow colour should be worn as you

descend the steps of your private jet?

21:47 - FLOWWW: I have a new colour coming called supreMe, or self MaDe, self explanatory yo!

21:49 - JENDELLA.: What lipstick colour should the discerning MDMflow

girl wear on the day she hands in her resignation to chase her dreams?

22:32 - FLOWWW: OMG phone died im back

22:34 - FLOWWW: I was wearing VaMp the day I quit my 9-5 job. I remember thinking I want to look as intimidating as possible22:47 - JENDELLA.: I've been mistaken as a solicitor wearing VaMp. Its the

power suit for your lips!!

22:49 - FLOWWW: That is soo legit, love it

22:50 - JENDELLA.: Finallllyyy....what lipstick is appropriate for celebrating

life with a champagne brunch with the homies?

22:59 - FLOWWW: purple swag!!! Plus purple lip marks on a champagne

flute is the epitome of classy

00:35 - JENDELLA.: Of course!

00:36 - JENDELLA.: Well that's all my questions for now, do you have any

parting words to leave this captive audience?

00:36 - FLOWWW: Are we done ? I have soooooo much to tell you!

00:36 - FLOWWW: Lolz jk

00:38 - FLOWWW: I guess my parting words are talk to me. I'm a social

media junkie, I love to interact, meet new people and be inspired

00:39 - FLOWWW: Totes should get bk on tinder

00:39 - FLOWWW: Anyhow

00:39 - JENDELLA.: No more Tindering. Its for your own good.

00:40 - FLOWWW: Yes mum

When I get to where I’m going, gonna have

you tremblin’(M.I.A.)

When I get to where I’m going, gonna have

you tremblin’(M.I.A.)

www.mdmflow.com

Creative Direction: Florence Adepoju & Jendella Benson for MDMflowStyling: Florence Adepoju

Make Up: Florence AdepojuPhotography: Jendella Benson

Design: Jendella Benson

Thanks to the amazing Flore Van Uffelen & the wonderful Isis Nicole.

All artwork and images remain the copyright of MDMflow Ltd 2014.Except for the images we got from Tumblr – thanks Tumblr! All lyrics

quoted remain the property of the relevant parties.

www.mdmflow.com/blog